1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication method and its system which can be favorably applied for the network in which plural client systems refer to informations kept by the server system via the network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the computer system has come into wide use and the communication technology has been rapidly developed, thus informations can be obtained through the network system. And, for example, WWW (World wide Web) and the like exist as the ones to play a big role in the prevalence of such network systems.
On the other hand, as a communication tool between person and person, applications such as telephone, electronic mail, network talk, internet chat and the like are well known.
However, these network systems and communication tools stand alone with each other, and for example, the shift from the reference of informations by network systems to the communication by communication tools, and the shift from the communication by communication tools to the reference by network systems cannot have been made without intervals.
Namely, even if there are plural persons who refer to the same information on WWW (e.g. who have the same values), it has been impossible that these persons who utilize these informations shift without intervals to the communication by means of the communication tools.
On the other hand, as a well known utility for the network communication, there can be mentioned "Habitat". "Habitat" is a system for providing a two-dimensional common space (map) to users, and is composed of a graphics display device on the user's terminal (PC) and a host group LAN-connected at the center station. The user who logs on the host is controlled as a task in the host, and the communication between users who share the region on the map is realized by the communication in the host or between the host of the center station, and the communication content is transferred to the user's terminal.
"Mosaic" is also well known as the network utility having the function of network navigation. "Mosaic" is a system to present the (basically) static data put on the network as a hyper text. This system is composed of a server called as httpd on the data server machine and a client such as Mosaic, chimera, or the like. The client accesses the server to interpret the text described in the html specification and to obtain the necessary data. The server transfers the data requested by the client, and if necessary at this time, checks the right to access to the data. The client presents the data transferred from the server (group) to the user according to the attribute thereof. Moreover, the client performs the data access to the server according to the instruction of the user (click of the hyper text).
As described above, conventionally, the network system and the communication tool exist as the one mutually independent, therefore it has been impossible, for example, that persons who refer to the same information on the optional server in the network system shift without intervals to the communication by means of the communication tool.
Furthermore, the kerf for presenting the network resources in the "Habitat" system is restricted to the two dimensional map, therefore it lacks the ability to present the network resources from various points of view. For example, the mobile operation thereof in response to the users' need, such as to present only users whose terminal is in the close location area on the map, or to switch the display from the two-dimensional map to the display by organization in which the user belongs. Furthermore, since "Habitat" is centrally controlled in the center, it is easy to maintain the adjustability of the common data, but on the contrary, the processing capacity of the center provides the size of the user. Accordingly, in order to construct a system of a quite large size, a vast sum of cost will be necessary. In the case of "Mosaic" system, the form to present the network resources is also restricted to the hyper text. In this system, the cost to set the server is quite low. However, the navigation function of the hyper text is static. Namely, it is not suited for the navigation for the data whose contents and locations change on the real-time basis.
The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a communication method and its system which makes it possible to properly perform the communication between users who are referring to informations kept in the same server system without using the server system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a communication method and its system which is makes it possible to present the network resources changing on the real-time basis from various points of view, without applying excessive load to the center, and to switch the viewpoints optionally according to respective users' convenience.